Darling, I Love You • FRED WEASLEY

3

I shot up as I was awoken to the sound of explosives and laughter. I turned to my side and saw Angelina with the same look of horror while Victoria was still fast asleep, wrapped around her blanket like a burrito.

I got out of bed and slowly peeked outside. I jumped as a rat ran past with a cat hot in its tail. Smoke filled the air, the smell of gunpowder and fireworks working its way through my nostrils. Even though I already knew the culprits still looked around trying to see what havoc the twins caused when a body crashed into me, sending us both to the carpeted floor, my chest facing down. I closed her eyes and groaned a body crushing her.

"You getting comfy there, Freddie?"

My eyes snap open and looked back to see a mop of red hair. Fred fucking Weasley is on top of me.

"Sorry, love," he muttered.

I sighed and gave him a pinched expression, "Fred, it's 7 in the morning."

"A great time to start the day with a bang," George chimes.

The two giggled and sped downstairs.

I dragged my feet back into our room and plopped down beside Tori who was leaning against the headboard stretching.

"What the hell happened, Eli?" she mumbled.

"The twins doing their stuff."

"They saw you in elephant pajamas," she pointed.

"It's cute," I pouted.

We all showered and got into more decent clothes as we headed down. I wore a black hoodie and paired it with a denim skirt and flats. I put my waist-length, curly, strawberry blonde hair into a messy bun. I put on some mascara and a bit of lip balm to avoid having chapped lips.

We headed downstairs where the twins were waiting for us, behind them were the rest of the Weasleys, except Bill and Charlie, and Ron's friends Harry and Hermione who were already seated looking at menus. Mrs. Weasley looked up and scurried over to us giving each one of us her warmest hug one could ask her. She pulled back and patted my rosy cheeks.

"How are you, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, lowering her hand to her side. 

"Brilliant," I replied, "how was your trip, Mrs. Weasley?"

"It was amazing, Eli!" Fred butted in.

The twins tugged on my wrist and pulled out a chair, demanding me to sit in between them.

"Elisaria, how nice to see you," Percy said once he caught sight of me while smiling.

"Hello, Percy," I greeted, holding back a laugh. The twins took notice of this and shared a look then sat up straighter.

Fred cleared his throat before turning to me and said, "Eli!", shooting a wink at Percy, he bowed deeply and George followed his twin.

"Simply splendid to see you, young maiden-"

"Marvelous," pushing Fred's hand aside and seizing mine, "very marvelous really."

"That's enough now!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum!" Fred said as though he'd just spotted her and grabbed her hand. "How really corking to see you-"

"I said that's enough!" Mrs. Weasley said setting her bags in a chair making George snicker at his twin.

"Eli dear, I suppose you've heard the exciting news?" she pointed to the silver badge on Percey's chest making Fred, George, Angelina, Tori, and I hold in their giggles.

"Second head boy in the family!" she said swelling with pride.

"And last," Fred mumbled under his breath.

"Don't say that," I said muttered, putting my hand on his shoulder.

"Imagine the power you'll have over the points system if you're a head boy," Tori whispered.

"Nah, we don't need that." Fred snickered, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Mum's just gonna expect more from us," George shrugged, "she'll force us to work in the Ministry."

"You know we don't want that, Eli," Fred grumbled, his mouth set in a hard line.

Their mother was always so hard on them, it's just so sad how they expect them to be like their older brothers when they only wanted to be Fred and George, George and Fred, Gred and Forge, the pranksters.

I sent them sympathetic smiles before showing them the bowtruckle she smuggled from her backyard, lightening the mood.

Percy is the human embodiment of law and order while the twins are chaos personified. Naturally enough they are going to clash as a result. Percy was a prefect and Head Boy and is now working his way up to be an assistant for the Minister of Magic. He got the maximum amount of both O.W.L.s and I don't doubt he will in N.E.W.T.s. He placed a lot of value on respecting authority, following rules, and his academics.

Fred and George on the other hand wanted to create and run their own joke shop. They're troublesome pranksters who flout authority and relish in causing chaos. They did poorly in their exams on their exams last year, not because they weren't smart, but because they weren't motivated much to do well or apply themselves in their studies. As brothers, they both want very different things out of life and had very different outlooks as well.

There has always been this tension between them. I remember the Weasleys spending a few weeks with my family in France. The twins placed firecrackers under the bed Percy was supposed to sleep on. Percy tried to tell on the twins about their pranks on him but he was always brushed aside.

Percy is older, yes, but only by two years, that's not really much of an advantage against the twins. Not like the age gap the twins have with Bill and Charlie. So like Ron he's viewed as an easy target.

Speaking of...

"Hey," Ron greeted, holding out a piece of newspaper.

"You're not flashing that clip about again, are you, Ron?" Fred teased.

"I haven't shown anyone!" Ron blushed.

"Well, you did tell Tom," Harry said earning a giggle from Hermione.

"The day maid..."

"The night maid..."

"That bloke who-"

"Sod off you four," Ron scowled, standing from his seat, and went to Percy.

"Have you heard?" Angelina asked in a low voice. Leaning over the table.

"Black?" the twins said simultaneously.

Tori nodded frantically, "I heard he's looking for scar-head over there," nodding over to Harry's direction.

Sirius Black is a notorious mass murderer, he murdered his two best mates and twelve muggles which got him sent to Azkaban. Apparently, he is also the first ever to escape Azkaban. My father has always said how Sirius was such a great lad. From the stories I've heard, I started to think that Sirius was actually framed.

"That scare-head has ears and he can hear you," Harry jeered.

We sent in an apologetic smile and talked in hush voices.